Reducing the potential for accidents can help a person stay safe at home and at work.

unintentional injuries

accident chain

fire extinguisher

smoke alarm

carbon monoxide

peer mediation

OSHA

The Accident Chain

Many accidental injuries are preventable.

The Accident Chain

Every year, more than 20 million children and teens require medical attention or face restricted activity due to unintentional injuries.

Unintentional injuriesInjuries resulting from an unexpected event

The Accident Chain

You can prevent unintentional injuries by breaking the accident chain.

Accident chainA sequence of events that leads to an unintentional injury

The Accident Chain

Breaking any of the links in this chain can prevent the accident and the resulting injury.

Keeping Your Home Safe

Safety precautions can prevent injuries at home.

Accidents in the home are one of the top causes of injury and death in the United States.

Keeping Your Home Safe

Common types of household accidents include fires, falls, and poisonings.

 

You can reduce the risk of these accidents by taking safety precautions.

 

Preventing Fires

Common causes of household fires include burning candles and incense, smoking, kitchen fires, and faulty electrical wiring.

Preventing FiresFire Prevention Tips

Keep matches, lighters, and candles away from children.

Don’t leave burning candles unattended

Make sure that smokers extinguish cigarettes completely, and that no one smokes in bed.

Don’t leave cooking food unattended.

Clean stoves and ovens to prevent grease buildup, which can catch fire.

Follow the operating instructions for using space heaters.

Preventing Fires

Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher in your kitchen and make sure everyone in the house knows how to use it.

Fire extinguisherA portable device for putting out small fires

Preventing Fires

Every home should have a smoke alarm on each floor, near the kitchen and bedrooms.

Smoke alarmA device that produces a loud warning noise in the presence of smoke

Preventing Fires

Test your smoke alarm once a month, and change the batteries twice a year.

Preventing Fires

More Fire Tips

Plan an escape route with an escape path from every room of your home.

Designate a spot to meet up with your family after you get out.

When you are escaping from a fire, stay close to the ground so that you can crawl under the smoke.

If your clothes catch fire, stop, drop, and roll to put out the flames.

Staying Safe with Electricity

Avoid overloading your electrical system.

Unplug and don’t use appliances with worn wiring.

Make sure extension cords are properly rated for their intended use and have polarized (three-prong) plugs.

Do not run electrical cords under rugs or behind baseboards.

Staying Safe with Electricity

Don’t let furniture sit on cords.

Don’t attach cords to walls using nails or staples.

Avoid using an electrical appliance near water.

Never reach into water to retrieve a dropped appliance without first unplugging it.

In homes with small children, cover unused outlets with safety caps.

Preventing Falls

On Stairs

Keep stairways well lit, in good repair, and free of clutter.

Staircases should have sturdy handrails.

All stair coverings should be securely fastened down.

Never put small rugs at the foot of a staircase.

Preventing Falls

In Bathrooms

Put nonskid mats or strips in the tub or shower.

Keep a night-light in the bathroom.

Preventing Falls

Windows

If there are small children in the home, install window guards on the upper floors.

Make sure the windows can be opened completely in case of a fire.

Preventing Falls

In the Kitchen

Keep the kitchen floor clean, and mop up spills promptly.

Use a step stool to get things down from high places.  

Preventing Falls

In Living Areas

Keep the floor clear of clutter.

Use nonskid rugs or place nonskid mats under rugs.

Keep phone and electrical cords out of the flow of traffic.

Preventing Poisonings

Many common household items can be harmful or even fatal if swallowed.

 

To prevent poisonings, store products safely and read and follow instructions on all labels.

Preventing Poisonings

Using Computers Safely

Setting up your computer workstation correctly will reduce eyestrain, fatigue, headache, and injury.

Using Computers Safely

Adjust your position from time to time.

Stretch your hands, arms, and body.

Stand up and walk around for a few minutes every hour.

Sit in a “neutral body position,” a comfortable posture in which your joints are naturally aligned.

Blink your eyes to moisten them and reduce eyestrain.

Handling Firearms Safely

Children need to know that guns are dangerous and can kill people.

 

Instruct them never to touch a gun and to leave the area and tell an adult if they find one.

Handling Firearms Safely

When handling a gun, always assume that it is loaded.

Never point a gun at anyone.

Add a trigger lock, and keep your finger off the trigger except when firing.

Store guns unloaded and in a locked cabinet, separate from ammunition, and safe from children.

Guarding Against Intruders

Keep your doors and windows locked.

If doors or windows are damaged, repair them promptly.

Don’t hide a spare key outside the house. Instead, give a key to a neighbor you trust.

Use a peephole to identify people who come to the door.

Don’t open the door to a stranger.

Guarding Against Intruders

Never tell people that you’re home alone.

Make sure your answering machine does not tell callers you are away from home.

Don’t go in your home if you see something suspicious. Call the police or go to a neighbors house.

Keeping Your Home Safe

You can work with others to protect your safety at school, at work, and in your community.

You have a right to be safe everywhere you go.

Keeping Your Community Safe

How Communities are Making Neighborhoods Safer

Increased police presence

Neighborhood Watch programs

After-school programs

Improved lighting in public areas

Safety at School

What School Staff Can Do

Develop security procedures.

Put disciplinary policies in place to deal with offenders.

Adopt “zero-tolerance” policies.

Safety at School

What Students Can Do Develop peer mediation programs

to help settle conflicts.

Report crimes or other suspicious activities to school staff.

Clean up graffiti.

Lead anti-violence groups.

Get others involved in community service.

Safety at School

What Parents Can Do

Be aware of the conditions at the school.

Join parent-teacher groups.

Chaperone field trips.

Help out in the classroom.

Safety on the Job

Each year, about 70,000 teen workers suffer injuries or illnesses serious enough to send them to a hospital emergency room.

 

The federal government has enacted laws to protect the health of young workers.

Safety on the Job

All employers must meet standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)The agency within the federal government that is responsible for promoting safe and healthful conditions in the workplace

Safety on the Job

Job Safety Tips

Be aware of the risks of jobs.

Follow safe work practices.

Refuse to work in unsafe conditions.

After You ReadReviewing Facts and Vocabulary

Injuries resulting from an unexpected event

1. Define unintentional injuries.

After You ReadReviewing Facts and Vocabulary

2. Identify two important pieces of fire safety equipment.

Fire extinguishers and smoke alarms

After You ReadReviewing Facts and Vocabulary

3. What are two steps you can take to prevent poisonings in your home?

Store products safely, and pay attention to labels.